Pinch-running in a little-league baseball game, 11-year-old Mike Van Sickle watched from the base path as a teammate hit a fly-ball to right field. As the outfielder made the catch in shallow right, Van Sickle dove back to first base to avoid the double play.

It was something Van Sickle had done plenty in his baseball career.

Except this time, the first base was cemented into the ground.

"Normally, on a play like that, the base will give way, it will pop up. But, unfortunately, my elbow gave first," Van Sickle said.

Van Sickle's elbow was shattered; a titanium pin was permanently placed in it. At the time, he worried that it would forever affect his athletic career.

But Van Sickle rehabbed and overcame the injury. Today, as a freshman golfer at Marquette, he rarely even thinks about it.

"My elbow doesn't really affect my golf game or my swing," Van Sickle said. "It's only a problem when I'm weightlifting. It's almost as good as new."

That confident attitude, along with his consistent, long-ball swing has made Van Sickle the story of the early Marquette golf season.

His record eight-under, 208, in three rounds at the John Piper Intercollegiate in Bowling Green, Ohio was the lowest score in a tournament for a Marquette golfer in school history. The new record is even more remarkable considering he set it in his first collegiate tournament. The score ranked second individually in the tournament.

Van Sickle said the outstanding start out has put some extra pressure on him this season, but he is taking it all in stride.

"If I play the way I should play, I'll shoot scores similar to my first tournament," he said.

His coach has confidence in his youngest golfer as well.

"The key to Mike's game is that he strikes the ball solidly, consistently. But also, Mike expects to do well," Head Coach Tim Grogan said. "And we expected him to do well, he has a quiet confidence. Are we happy he did well? Yes. Are we surprised? No."

It is difficult to imagine after his breakout debut, but Van Sickle was not always considered the top player he is today. Even though he is the son of Sports Illustrated senior golf writer Gary Van Sickle, who first taught the game to Mike in early grade school, Mike said he only became a serious golfer his sophomore year in high school. Even then, his high school numbers were not outstanding.

In the fall of his senior year, he had only two offers to play golf in college.

Undeterred, he spent his winter and spring playing in the Future Collegiate World Tour, a top showcase for talented young players.

"My goal was always to get a scholarship to play," Van Sickle said. "I knew I had the talent to play at the next level. I just needed to prove it to others."

Van Sickle tore up the field, winning three of eight tournaments, and gained the interest of Grogan, who offered him a scholarship.

Van Sickle knew from his junior tournament experience that he had the ability to play in college. He was not awestruck by his early success at Marquette because "it's the reason why they are paying me to play golf here."

Going into his second tournament of the season next Monday and Tuesday at the Cardinal Intercollegiate in Louisville, Ky., Van Sickle remains focused.

"I'm just thinking about the next tournament," Van Sickle said. "I want to make sure that I play just as well. I want to prove [that my first tournament] wasn't a fluke."

As for the rest of his freshman season, Van Sickle has set his goals as high as possible.

"I want to win the NCAA championships individually and as a team," Van Sickle said.

"If winning it all is not the goal, then there is a problem. Maybe you shouldn't be competing at the Division I level."

After his brilliant start, it might be hard to be a cap on Van Sickle's potential.

This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on September 22, 2005.